god and evil

how could a good god create an evil world?

The world is full of war, starvation, racial prejudice, death, political dishonesty, etc, etc. How could a good god have created a world that is in such a mess? Doesn't this indicate that there is no god?

This is perhaps the strongest argument against the existence of a god. Here are five questions that may help us think through this issue.

1. Perhaps the only way to stop human evil is to take away people's freedom of choice. But does anyone want that? Would you be willing to give up your freedom of choice to see an end to human evil? Perhaps the amazing gift of life and freedom is worth it all?
2. Danger and hurt seem to be inevitable parts of living in a physical world. Some people thrive on it, and would find life without risk a bit tame. Most of us find great beauty in the same world that throws up earthquakes and tidal waves. Perhaps we can't have one without the other?
3. But granted all this, surely a god could have retained the good aspects (freedom, beauty) and reduced the bad aspects? At the very least, the extent of evil in the world is very troubling.
4. Despite the pain and anguish of this life, most of us hang on to life and cherish it. Surveys show that about three quarters of people in the world are happy. Perhaps, despite all the arguments and doubts, our actions are saying that life is good, and the good definitely outweighs the bad?
5. The argument that a good god could not create such a bad world depends on the world being really evil. If the world was just inconvenient or unattractive, all we could say is that God is not convenient to us - hardly a telling argument! But it is hard to see how we can call anything truly right or wrong without a god. So it seems that the strongest argument against God may require him to exist before it can have strength.

It is hard to escape the feeling that something is wrong with the world, and to blame God or disbelieve in a god because of that. But the above questions take a lot of of the sting out of the argument - it is hard to maintain the rage against God without a strong basis for our views about right and wrong, and in a world where we clearly gain such pleasure and joy.

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